


sparring & spring blossoms

by kirsongs



Category: Nikolai Series - Leigh Bardugo
Genre: F/F, and she's a disaster, and that's okay, ehri loves mayu, set in pre kos shu han
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-08
Updated: 2020-10-08
Packaged: 2021-03-07 18:01:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,423
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26891851
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kirsongs/pseuds/kirsongs
Summary: who knew that punching ehri kir taban in the face was the quickest way to her heart?for grishatober day 05.
Relationships: Ehri Kir-Taban/Mayu Kir-Kaat
Comments: 2
Kudos: 11
Collections: GRISHATOBER 2020





	sparring & spring blossoms

It was spring in Shu Han, the winter snowmelt long faded, the bright colors of Amhrat Jen emerging from under their blanket, and the city shining in the sun. 

It was spring in Shu Han, and Princess Ehri Kir-Taban, second in line to the throne, "Daughter of Heaven", celestial child, had just been punched in the face. Hard.

" _Cǎo!_ " Ehri swore, dropping her stance and bringing a hand up to her stinging cheek. "What was that for?"

"Keep your hands up next time," Mayu jested, a smile splitting her lips, shaking out her wrapped hand, "and maybe you won't get hit again."

"You forget that I could have you killed for that." Ehri drew herself up and tried to look intimidating, doing her best impression of her oldest sister, Makhi's, stern glare, staring down her nose at the girl in front of her.

"Well, the goal here is for you to be able to do that yourself," Mayu grinned. "If you die, I die. And no offense, princess-"

"-Ehri."

"So no offense, _Ehri_ , but my future is not looking great right now."

"Sorry." Ehri picked at the cloth that Mayu had wrapped around her fingers and wrist, white turned dark with sweat. "I'm just not built to be a fighter. I like my _khatuur_ and my singing and my poetry. I don't like hurting people, and I'm not good at it." She sighed, turning her gaze back to the other girl.

"I'm not like you, Mayu."

"But you can be."

Gods only knew how Mayu could keep this up all day. Always smiling, always proud. Never resting, never backing down. It must be exhausting. It certainly was for Ehri, trying to keep up with any of their training sessions, even the easiest ones.

"Here, let me show you." She moved across the makeshift ring to where Ehri stood awkwardly, one hand still gently touching the red mark on her cheek. "Get into your stance, the one Jinghua was supposed to teach you."

Ehri did her best to mimic the stern, older woman who served on the _T_ _avgharad_ , broadening her footing and bringing her hands up in front of her face in the defensive pose that had been reiterated to her hundreds of times. Gods, she probably looked so stupid right now. Nothing like Mayu, who looked so natural in the ring, in a fight, her long dark hair pulled up behind her head and a sheen of sweat on her brow. Ehri hated to fight, but she loved to watch Mayu, her graceful movements almost more like a dance than an attack, flowing from position to position with an almost effortless glide. If Ehri's natural gift was in music, then Mayu's was in athletics.

"May I?" Mayu asked, hands hovering above Ehri's shoulders, fingers itching to adjust.

"Go ahead," Ehri responded, noticing the unusual feeling that thrilled through her at Mayu's touch, her calloused fingers on Ehri's skin.

Mayu's hands settled on her shoulders, pushing them down and back.

"You're too hunched," she remarked, as her foot moved unseen to push Ehri's back foot nearly perpendicular to her front, to which it had been parallel before.

"You get no movement if your shoulders are nearly to your chin the whole time. You'll never be able to fully extend like that."

Her hands moved down Ehri's arms, tucking her elbows in, her touch surprisingly gentle. 

"And your power should come from the foot. Not the arm."

She took Ehri's hands in hers, body settling behind in a guiding stance. Gods, she was close. Ehri wasn't sure if it was good or bad that her heart had begun to race.

"Relax." Mayu instructed, bringing Ehri's hands back. "Let me show you."

Hands cupping Ehri's, she brought the other girl through a swing, rocking them back then forward, moving their right hands forward with a rush, striking the air in the empty square that surrounded them.

"Did you feel the difference?"

Well, Ehri felt a lot of things, the least of which was probably the punch. 

"I think so?" Her voice came out a near-squeak, higher than she'd hoped. Gods, what was happening.

"Let's try it, then." Mayu stepped away from Ehri, the void of her body suddenly clear. "Try hitting me."

"In the face?" Was she crazy?!

"What, you don't think I can take it?" Mayu laughed, stepping in front of Ehri once again. "I've survived two assassination attempts on your family. I think I can survive a punch."

"Well, you've never been hit as hard as I'm about to hit you," Ehri responded, finding herself infected by Mayu's laughter. What was going on with her today?! "So, uh, get ready."

Across from her, Mayu grinned wide, tapping her left cheek. 

"Whenever you're ready."

Ehri took in a deep, shaky breath, sinking as best she could back into the stance Mayu had run them through. Okay, well, here goes nothing. Worst case scenario is you miss, and make a fool of yourself. Best case, you hit her in the face. Ehri honestly couldn't pick which she hated more. 

"Now or never," she murmured to herself, putting her weight on her back foot. "You can do this."

And swinging forward, her fist made contact with Mayu's face. 

And then it was Mayu's turn to swear.

The girl brought a hand up to her bleeding nose, fingers pinching the bridge, a smear of scarlet trickling down onto her lip.

In her mortification, Ehri stood in silence for a moment, just staring at what she'd done. _She'd_ done that. Oh Gods, oh Gods, oh Gods, oh-

"Well, you didn't break it." Mayu's assertation broke Ehri's daze, wiping her hand across her upper lip, staining the white of her wraps red.

"I didn't?" was all Ehri managed to squeak out.

"Shame, right?"

What.

Mayu continued. "Although I should give you some condemnations for making me bleed, at least. That's a good start for a beginner." She dabbed at her nose again, clearing the fresh blood. "See, I told you that you could do it."

Ehri took a step closer, not sure if she should help. Maybe it was best to keep her hands to herself. For the rest of her life, probably. At least around Mayu.

"You're not . . . mad?"

"Why would I be mad?" Mayu chirped, the smile back on her face. "You showed progress! We'll have you breaking bones in a matter of weeks, I can feel it."

She wasn't sure what compelled her to, but Ehri brought a hand up to Mayu's face, brushing away a bit of blood the girl had missed. A few flecks had dried on her lips, where it had dripped down in the immediate aftermath, and Ehri moved to run her thumb across them, too, before realizing with a very sudden shock what she was doing and pausing mid-movement, thumb lifted halfway to her lips. 

"Did I miss a little blood?" Mayu asked, and Ehri could have sworn there was a new shine in her eyes.

"Can you get it for me?" Probably just the light. 

"Sure," Ehri responded, it coming out half a whisper. Clearing her throat, she continued. "You, uh, might need some water for it. It looks pretty . . . on there."

"Really?"

"I think so." Gods, had she just admitted that she was looking at Mayu's lips? Like, sure, she was, but that was the blood and it was harmless, just making sure she was alright, nothing about the curve of her cupid's bow or how soft they looked or-

"We'll have to try harder, then." And then Mayu's lips were on Ehri's, and Ehri wasn't sure who had started it, but only that it was something that she'd wanted and something that was even better in the moment and Gods Mayu did taste like blood but it didn't matter, nothing mattered, just the brush of skin between them and the press of her lips and the soaring feeling starting in Ehri's chest.

After a moment, Mayu pulled away, and Ehri realized that at some point she'd wrapped her arms around Mayu's neck, but the taller girl didn't seem to mind, her cheeks flushed and eyes gleaming.

"Did we get it?"

"I'm not sure," Ehri nearly laughed, heart pounding in her ears.

"Well then I guess we'll have to go again."

And her arms were around Ehri again, pulling her up and against her, and she was everything Ehri had pictured, and it was new and wonderful and good, and suddenly Ehri didn't mind fight training so much anymore.


End file.
